On Saturday, July 8 and Sunday, July 9, Halal Fest, AmericaÕs largest Halal Food & Eid Festival, will hold its fifth annual event in Fremont. This is the first year that the festival will be a two-day event.

Halal Fest is organized by a group of American Muslims from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities who have one thing in common: their love of great food! Halal means "permissible" in Arabic and refers to the dietary guidelines outlined in Islam. It is similar to kosher food for those who practice the Jewish faith.

With an estimated 250,000 American Muslims living in the San Francisco Bay Area, Halal Fest is a great way to bring people together from diverse backgrounds.

Halal Fest will offer more than 20 different Halal food, dessert, and specialty vendors as well as a large bazaar featuring over 35 vendors selling a wide variety of items such as clothing, jewelry, books, gifts, toys, and artwork from around the world. The event will also feature a super slide, air jumper, carnival-type rides and games for children including a large Ferris wheel! A special entertainment session will be held on Saturday night featuring an ensemble of American Jazz, Moroccan, and African musicians from around the Bay Area, as well as a comedy showcase featuring well-known American Muslim comedians: Ahmed Ahmed, Ramy Youssef, and Preacher Moss.

As in past years, there will also be live cooking demonstrations featuring local chef Lisa Ahmad with Mirchi Cafe in Fremont, as well as Yvonne Maffei with My Halal Kitchen from Chicago.

ÒI love exploring different cultures, and my favorite way to do it is through food! Halal Fest is the perfect chance for fun food explorations for people of all faiths,Ó says Abbas Mohamed, one of the organizers. "Since it has been so popular these past few years, we have extended hours: Saturday, Noon -11 p.m. with a full comedy show, and Sunday, Noon - 7 p.m.Ó

There will also be a free raffle of two airline tickets to anywhere in the world from Turkish Airlines.

Grand Sponsors Mountain High Yoghurt, now Halal Certified, and Knorr Halal Bouillon will be giving away free samples of their products at this year's Halal Fest. Official Radio Partner, Desi 1170 AM, will be scouting for talent and interns for the summer at their booth. For more information, please e-mail info@klokmedia.com.

Admission to Halal Fest is $5 for one day or $8 for a two-day pass. Children 10 years and younger get free admission. Parking is also free. Tickets can be bought online at tix.HalalFest.com. For more information, e-mail info@halalfest.com or call (510) 974-3378.